Dry Cleaner Insurance
Dry cleaning businesses and laundromats need protection against lawsuits, property damage, and more.
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Christine Lacagnina has written thousands of insurance-based articles for TrustedChoice.com by authoring consumable, understandable content.
Whether you run a dry cleaning business or a self-service laundry business, there's a lot to consider on a daily basis. With the consistent flow of customers on your premises, as well as the equipment, chemicals, and even security concerns, you must ensure your business is protected at all times. Without the proper coverage in place, you could face financial risks.
Fortunately, an independent insurance agent can help you find the right kind of dry cleaner insurance for your business. They'll match you to the right policy for your unique business's needs. But for starters, here's a breakdown of dry cleaners insurance.
Common Risks for Dry Cleaning Businesses
Dry cleaning and laundry businesses face a number of different risks every day, just like any other type of industry. Some of the most common include:
- Slips and falls due to wet or uneven floors
- Fires due to excess lint in dryers, chemicals on clothes in dryers, or flammable items in dryers
- Children playing, running, and touching equipment
- Security concerns like theft, vandalism, and other crimes
- Impeded customer safety due to insufficient lighting, other customers, parking lot incidents, etc.
- Equipment breakdowns
- Floods, power outages, or weather events that force you to cease operations
- Electrical problems
- Property damage due to tornadoes, hail, windstorms, flooding, or heavy rain
The list of possible hazards for dry cleaning businesses could continue from here. Luckily, there's a special type of business insurance for cleaners designed to consider these specific risks.
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What Kinds of Insurance Do Laundromats and Dry Cleaners Need?
While fires may be considered the most financially devastating risk that coin-operated laundromats and dry cleaners face, customer slips and falls are actually the most prevalent incidents. A comprehensive dry cleaners insurance program can help protect your business from all the potential problems that can arise. Your business might need some or all of the following types of insurance for cleaners:
- Business property insurance: Provides coverage for your coin-operated washers and dryers, commercial laundry machines, dry cleaning equipment, computers, and more if these items are damaged by fire, theft, vandalism, or other covered perils.
- Business interruption insurance: Provides reimbursement for business expenses and loss of income if you must temporarily cease operations due to a covered loss.
- Commercial general liability insurance: Also called cleaning liability insurance, this provides coverage for resulting medical bills, lawsuits, legal fees, and more if a customer slips and falls while doing their laundry.
- Equipment breakdown insurance: Provides coverage to repair or replace equipment in your dry cleaning business that breaks down due to a covered peril.
An independent insurance agent can help your dry cleaning business get set up with all the coverage it needs to continue smooth operations.
Do You Need Bailee’s Coverage for Dry Cleaners and Full-Service Laundromats?
A full-service laundromat or dry cleaner has some significant differences from a self-service or coin-operated laundromat. Dry cleaners or full-service laundromats don't rely on customers to do their own laundry. Instead, clothing items are handed over to the business to wash, dry clean, steam, or iron them. This service comes with exposures of its own.
If a customer’s clothing or other personal property gets damaged while in your business's care, a special type of coverage may be necessary. Bailee’s coverage is an add-on to a business property policy that covers non-owned property stored at your shop or in your possession. It helps pay for damage and minimizes financial implications for you and your customers if their property is damaged while in your control. Bailee’s coverage is specifically designed for businesses like laundromats and dry cleaners that take in the property of others and are expected to return it undamaged.
Additional Insurance Protection for Employees and Other Concerns
Laundromats and dry cleaners should consider adding more types of business insurance to complete their business insurance program. Some of the most commonly needed types of additional coverage for dry cleaners are:
- Commercial auto insurance: Covers incidents related to company vehicles and is necessary for dry cleaners that offer mobile services or make deliveries.
- Workers’ compensation insurance: Covers the costs of work-related injuries and illnesses and even incidents of death caused by job-related activities.
- Pollution liability insurance: Covers incidents of lawsuits related to injury or property damage caused by chemicals or other pollutants.
- Commercial umbrella insurance: Provides supplemental liability protection beyond the limits of certain other liability policies.
- Employment practices liability insurance: Covers your business if an employee sues you for discrimination, harassment, or other related claims.
- Flood insurance: Covers natural water damage to your business and is necessary for dry cleaners and laundromats located in flood-prone areas.
An independent insurance agent can help you build a dry cleaners insurance policy that meets all of your company's coverage needs.
Save on Business Insurance
Our independent agents shop around to find you the best coverage.
Why Work with an Independent Insurance Agent for Dry Cleaner Insurance?
Whether you own a single coin-operated laundry or a chain of dry cleaning stores, you need business insurance that protects your investment and assets from injuries, property damage, and lawsuits. The best way to find the right coverage for your needs is to work with a knowledgeable, experienced independent insurance agent who can help you compare quotes from multiple insurance companies. These agents work hard to find the policy that offers you the overall best blend of coverage and cost.